2024
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May 7, Lisbon Arrival
Travelled in
We dress Cynthia’s scraped leg with the antibiotic and superb bandaids we bought for David’s hand in Porto, have a leisurely breakfast in the hotel, pack, and walk the half-block to Coimbra’s train station where we board car 22, seats… Continue reading
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May 6, Coimbra
Travelled in
The sun! The Sun! THE SUN!!! And an azure sky arcing above the world as far as we can see. A passable breakfast in the hotel and we venture forth for our guided tour of Portugal’s oldest university, founded in… Continue reading
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May 5, Travel to Coimbra
Travelled in
We wake to drizzling rain and the 7-minute walk uphill to the Oporto train station where we hope to revise our tickets for Aviero and Coimbra so we can skip Aviero — scenic seaside canals that would be lovely were… Continue reading
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May 4, Porto
Travelled in
After watching rain scenically drizzle the granite slab sidewalks, cobbled streets and bedraggled Oportians and tourists in front of our window at breakfast, we slip/slide our way to the city’s now defunct stock exchange, hoping for an English-language tour in… Continue reading
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April 30 – May 1, Porto
Travelled in
Flying from Casablanca to Porto was uneventful except for the screaming infant on the small plane and, once we approached northern Portugal, total cloud cover, which, though sudden infrequent fragments of sun and azure skies will tantalize us, will stay… Continue reading
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May 2-3, Porto and Regua
Travelled in
It’s cold and rainy in Porto, but we get up early and walk down steep, rain-slick streets to board our boat to Regua. We are assigned to table 14 — all tables are below deck in a surprisingly large room… Continue reading
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April 25, Ouarzazate
Travelled in
This is a temp post that we will update later. Road Scholar keeps us moving and we are struggling to write posts. For those who are following the journey and for us if David never transcribes his many pages of… Continue reading
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April 15, Rabat
Travelled in
After breakfast in our hotel, we’re back on the bus, which takes us first to the king’s administrative palace — huge grounds, single buildings that stretch farther than you can see, lovely manicured gardens, and guards of several services in… Continue reading
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April 14, Rabat
Travelled in
This day will prove to be “one of those days” that experienced travelers too old to be completely on their toes remember as … ahhh… “interesting” or “memorable.” We climb to the Doge’s rooftop and are told there are only… Continue reading
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April 13, Casablanca
Travelled in
In the baggage claim area of Casablanca airport we came across our first cross-cultural experience – tens of people dressed in white. We were later told that given that Ramadan had just ended this was probably a group of pilgrims… Continue reading
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February 25, SMA
Travelled in
Our last morning at Casa de Nueva Esperanza we wake, pack, clean, breakfast, say farewell to the parrots, and get a taxi that miraculously accomodates the three of us and our (physical) baggage and check into the Hotel la Mansion… Continue reading
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February 24 SMA
Travelled in
This was Saturday market day. Not David’s cup of tea so he had a day to himself while Debra and Cynthia visited the organic market and an art market. As with other days, Debra had her favorites to visit. First… Continue reading
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February 23, San Miguel de Allende
Travelled in
Up, eat and grab a cab to centro SMA for a guided tour that gathers under the beautifully trimmed trees in the square in front of the Parroquia. Our guide, Dali (no relation), who graduated from the university in Guanajuato,… Continue reading
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February 22, Guanajuato
Travelled in
French-press cafe, eggs and bacon served early at our casa by yours truly fuel the early morning ride we booked with Jorge, our guide for the day, to the one-hour-away silver-mining mecca of Guanajuato, a much larger city with a… Continue reading
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February 21, SMA
Travelled in
Cynthia woke feeling much better but now David was suffering. So, Debra and Cynthia left him home and went to visit some of the shops that are part of Debra’s traditional itinerary. Before going to Debra’s lunch destination we headed… Continue reading
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February 20, SMA
Travelled in
Beverly, an absolute trooper, is picking us up at 9 a.m. to take us on a curated tour an hour outside SMA, of El Charco del Ingenio, a 170-acre botanical preserve, basically an area purchased and donated by Federico Gamma… Continue reading
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February 19 San Miguel de Allende
Travelled in
Frank and Kathleen left wonderful French roast beans for our coffee and we figure out the appliances easily enough that we have a nice “breaky” with the pastries we brought from Ciuidad Mexico. While waiting for the french press to… Continue reading
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February 18, San Miguel de Allende
Travelled in
Our ride four hours northwest to San Miguel de Allende — SMA, wink, wink — will gather us at 1:00 so we wake late, pack, leave our bags at the front desk, and stroll the colonia (neighborhood). We brunch outside,… Continue reading
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February 17 Mexico City
Travelled in
Despite Quetzalcoatl’s ingenious campaign to prevent us from seeing the Rivera murals in the Palacio Nacional — he leagues with Tlaloc, the god of water, to bring a chill wind and heavy rains upon his flock this morning — we… Continue reading
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February 16 Mexico City
Travelled in
David dresses in the chilly early morning, gulps cafe and vitamins in the sweet dining room with a French couple who pretend to understand what he says, and a tasty crumpet from London who’s here for two months and DOES… Continue reading
Two Tramps 